NEWS AND VIEWS

The trafficking of humans: a crime against humanity

by Fran Ponomarenko

Imagine a small sleepy town in western Ukraine. The unemployment rate is high. On any given day in the town square, men old and young gather to talk; not one of them has a job. Politics is on every tongue. "We all know what needs to be done!" they cry. "Why is it not done? What is happening in our land in these democratic times?"

Imagine a young girl, Marusia, about 18 years old living in this same town. Her mother is sick, with severe diabetes, and cannot work. There has not been a husband at home for some years now. There are two younger siblings. This young girl cannot find any work anywhere in town. There is no money for medicines, no possibility of buying new boots for the winter to replace the worn ones. There is no way to finance books for her little brother and sister. There is hardly enough money to pay for utilities.

The family does, however, own a television. Images of the West are now regular fare on Ukrainian TV, which Marusia watches to forget her troubles.

"Ah, the opulence, the wealth, the luxuries!" said Marusia to her pals as they sit together watching a Western soap opera. "Why it's like a fairytale!"

For many nights, Marusia is unable to sleep. She says to herself: "I'll go work abroad! Mother will understand. So many are doing it now! Perhaps I can find work as a nanny. I'd be able to help everyone at home when I return."

She looks for work advertisements and sees a promising one looking for nannies in northern Germany. She goes to Lviv for the interview. Eureka! She is accepted. Several other girls are also hired. What hope! This will certainly open a door!

With the adventurous spirit of the young, Marusia sets out. She cannot conceive of what awaits her upon reaching her destination.

When Marusia reaches Berlin, her passport will be confiscated, she will be bonded, bartered and sold as chattel. And, before she can perform the job of servicing anywhere from 20 to 50 men a night, she will have to be primed. This consists of a visit into the anteroom of hell where she will have her spirit broken. She will be raped relentlessly, beaten until she will admit to anything and agree to do anything. Sometimes breaking in a girl has involved terrorizing her by making her watch another recalcitrant woman being murdered in her presence.

* * *

The above is a fictional narrative, but hundreds of thousands of young girls like Marusia are actually suffering a similar fate right now. According to Victor Malarek, who recently gave a talk on the subject of human trafficking, young girls from Ukraine, Moldova, Russia and Thailand are currently suffering unspeakable abuse.

The Social Action Committee Against Human Trafficking of Temple Emanu-el- Beth Sholom organized a three-day symposium on the subject of human trafficking. The symposium was held at the synagogue in Montreal from March 24-26. It featured Member of Parliament Irwin Cotler, Mr. Malarek and Christian Duguay producer of the film, "Human Trafficking."

Mr. Malarek, author of "The Natashas," gave a stirring speech about how impoverished and desperate young women from Eastern Europe are trafficked, sold and gang-pressed into forced prostitution in the European Union, in the Middle East, and in Japan.

Mr. Malarek spoke with the kind of fire in the belly that I have rarely seen in the recent past. He urged the audience to recognize human trafficking as a crime against humanity that must be stopped.

According to Mr. Malarek, when enticing images of affluence in the West are regularly beamed to the citizens of poor countries, some of the destitute are willing to take the chance that those recruiters who advertise for maids and caregivers are legitimate. In the former Soviet Union 70 percent of the unemployed are women. Many are willing to take the risk to help themselves and their families.

Mr. Malarek further pointed out that traffickers come from the full spectrum of society: aside from the criminal networks, the mafias and the pimps, Mr. Malarek stated that doctors, psychologists, teachers, even directors of orphanages in Ukraine and Russia are complicit. "Some authorities are also involved," he said. "And teenagers have also been abducted while walking on the road."

Trafficking women is the third most profitable criminal activity after drug and weapons smuggling. An estimated $12 billion a year in profit is made by the organizers; little of this goes to the victimized women. Today trafficking women is flourishing like never before. The latest wave of victims is from countries once part of the USSR.

Mr. Malarek argued that legalizing prostitution does not drive away the scourge of human trafficking. In fact, in the countries where prostitution is legal, like Germany and the Netherlands, there has been an increase in trafficking women for the sex trade, with an explosion of sex workers originating from Eastern Europe and forming the majority.

"Men, the sex buyers, are fueling this explosion. The entire global tragedy is man-made," said Mr. Malarek. The staggering demand for this kind of sex suggests that there are endless numbers of buyers ready to deepen the misery of others, and specifically to take advantage of young women who have been trafficked. The investigative journalist also pointed out that men are demanding sex with younger and younger women.

What can be done to address this problem? Mr. Malarek forcefully and ably noted that the "Johns" should be "shamed and made to realize that they are committing rape," for these girls have been forced into prostitution.

Furthermore, sending countries like Russia, Ukraine and Moldova should also be shamed, said Mr. Malarek, for not pulling out all the stops to prevent this. As well, receiving countries like Germany, Greece, Israel, Japan, Britain and the Arab Emirates must also commit themselves to eradicating the misery caused by sex trafficking.

Government leaders must send clear and forceful orders to judges that trafficking will not be tolerated. The full force of the law must be applied - prison time and confiscation of profits - in order to send the message that this form of slavery will not be tolerated, he continued.

Governments must sound the alarm to raise awareness of global trafficking. Otherwise the problem will remain masked. Action plans of governments must be internationalized so that all governments act in concert. Working in cooperation with the U.S. is mandatory as the Americans have put the issue of trafficking on the political agenda and the U.S. has the capacity to keep this issue at the fore, Mr. Malarek noted.

In the Canadian context, Bill C49 was passed when the Liberal government of Prime Minister Paul Martin was in office. This bill outlines new indictable offenses in the Canadian Criminal Code built entirely around the issue of human trafficking.

It is time for this crime against humanity to be abolished. If it was constituencies of conscience who worked to abolish the Black slave trade in the 19th century, then the formation of groups of conscience, in communities, in clubs and in churches is once again imperative. Civil society must mobilize to put pressure on governments to put an end to the disturbing reality of 21st century slavery. Reports estimate that anywhere between 700,000 and a couple of million people are trafficked worldwide every year. Most are sold into the sex slave trade.

At the end of the evening, Mr. Malarek told this writer that his book has been translated into Ukrainian and is being widely distributed. He also indicated that all profits from the sale of the book are to be directed toward combating human trafficking. He also had an audience with President Viktor Yushchenko on this subject.

I can say that my impression was that the audience in Montreal was greatly moved by the gravity of the problem. Rabbi Lerner closed the Thursday session by telling the audience in the synagogue that Jews were slaves in Egypt and it was their responsibility now to act to free others. A leaflet with a prayer was distributed so that it could be read at Seder. In the hall, copies of a prepared letter were distributed so that audience members could simply sign it and send it off to the prime minister of Canada and to their member of Parliament. Rabbi Lerner reminded everyone present: "Being free is a responsibility."

Neither are we Ukrainians unfamiliar with slavery. Many slaves were shipped from Kyivan Rus' to Byzantium, as well as to Arab countries. In Istanbul there was a famous square for bartering Ukrainian slaves. In the 15th and 16th century Crimean Tatars captured Ukrainians and sold them in the slave markets of Turkey. The institution of slavery continued to exist, albeit under a different name. In the 16th century it was replaced by serfdom. In the Communist era it took its own unique form. Today this horror is once again thriving.

Let us act now. It is our duty.

Fran Ponomarenko teaches in the English department of Vanier College in Montreal.

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, June 25, 2006, No. 26, Vol. LXXIV

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